Into The Sea

By the time Lan Yuan and Meng Changge left, it wasn’t even noon yet, but the streets were already bustling with people.

Ji Lingyue glanced at the shops lining the street, her gaze lingering on the swords and weapons displayed near the entrances. She couldn’t help but raise an eyebrow. “These are all high-grade spiritual weapons.”

“Given the circumstances, it’s not surprising,” Lan Wu said, picking up a silver longsword and weighing it in her hand. “Do you want it?”

Ji Lingyue shook her head. Lan Wu hummed, with a thoughtful look on her face. “Right, you can already manifest swords from your demonic energy.”

She put the sword down, and the two continued strolling along the street, stopping occasionally to chat intimately, as if they were just a couple out for a leisurely walk. However, when Ji Lingyue brushed her hair back, she glanced over her shoulder and let out a low hum. “Someone’s following us.”

Lan Wu picked up a string of red beads, holding them against Ji Lingyue’s wrist. “Let them follow. Given our identities, it’s only natural that those elders are worried.”

The cool jade brushed against Ji Lingyue’s warm skin, and her fingers curled slightly. She looked down at Lan Wu’s focused gaze, a smile tugging at her lips. “Are you going to buy this for me?”

“If you like it.”

In a rare moment of playfulness, Ji Lingyue tilted her head, waited for Lan Wu to look up, then leaned in and gave her a quick kiss on the lips.

Lan Wu froze, instinctively glancing around at the busy street. “You—”

Before she could finish, Ji Lingyue stole another kiss, this time on her cheek.

Lan Wu blinked, a helpless smile playing on her lips as she wrapped an arm around Ji Lingyue’s waist. “In broad daylight, you’re really bold.”

“I did it on purpose,” Ji Lingyue said lazily, squinting her eyes and tapping Lan Wu’s throat with a finger. “Since they enjoy spying so much, let’s give them a good show.”

“A show?” Lan Wu pinched her cheek playfully. “A show of the big, bad demon being wrapped around my little finger?”

Ji Lingyue grumbled. “Can’t you give me some face?”

Lan Wu smiled, pulling her along as they continued walking. She brought up another matter. “Master probably won’t agree to us going to Wangliang City to look for clues about Shanye, so it’s best if we go secretly.”

“But you said we need permission from the three sect leaders to pass through the barrier?”

“Yes, but they don’t know that we’re going to Wangliang City.”

Finally reaching the end of the street, Lan Wu found the stone steps leading up to the city wall and climbed them with Ji Lingyue, stopping at the top of the watchtower.

“Look.”

Ji Lingyue followed Lan Wu’s pointing finger and saw a faint barrier a few miles away. The barrier was almost invisible, blending into the colorless air, only occasionally rippling like water to reveal its presence.

Beneath the barrier stood a stone tower, seemingly manned by guards. On the other side of the barrier, a cluster of low-roofed houses stretched out, with faint figures moving about.

Ji Lingyue was surprised. “There are people living on the other side?”

“No, they’re cultivators from this side who went over to gather intelligence and monitor the demon’s movements. They’re like a line of defense outside the barrier,” Lan Wu explained. “If we want to meet the Demon Queen in the future, we might need their help.” 

“So, we’re going to…”

“Of course, we’re going to find a way to meet the Demon Queen,” Lan Wu winked at her. “And while we’re at it, we’ll sneak a trip to Wangliang City.”

Ji Lingyue nodded in understanding, but she suddenly frowned at a sound. She flung out a surge of demonic energy. With a whoosh, the demonic energy transformed into a sharp spike, embedding itself in the black stone of the tower. Barely a hair’s breadth away was a pale face.

Lan Wu turned toward the figure and blinked in surprise. “Qing Zibai?”

Half-hidden behind the wall, Qing Zibai’s bloodless face and hollow eyes stared at them silently.

“What are you doing here?” Lan Wu asked, frowning.

“You’re planning to go to Wangliang City,” Zibai said hoarsely, his voice slow and ragged, “It’s too dangerous. You can’t go.”

Lan Wu raised an eyebrow, annoyed he had overheard their conversation. “What’s that supposed to mean? Are you going to report us?”

But Qing Zibai ignored her. Stepping closer, he fixed his empty stare on Ji Lingyue. “Was it you?” he rasped. “Were you the one who knocked me out and dragged me back?”

Ji Lingyue remained still. “I did knock you out. But I wasn’t the one who brought you back.”

“What’s the difference? If it weren’t for you, if it weren’t for you…” His eyes reddened, and he stumbled forward, a twisted expression of laughter and tears on his face. “I would have already left this damned place. Why did you have to appear now?!”

Seeing him in such a deranged state, Lan Wu’s expression turned cold. She flipped her hand, summoning her sword, and pressed the hilt against his shoulder. “Stay away from us.”

Qing Zibai turned his hollow gaze on her and rasped. “You don’t understand, no, you don’t understand anything, I…”

“Qing Lang!”

A figure emerged from the stairs, scanning the top of the wall. Their eyes landed on the group. Lan Wu recognized her as the woman from the Chu family she had seen earlier, Qing Zibai’s wife, Chu Jiao.

Chu Jiao seemed surprised to see them. She hurried over. “Qing Lang, what are you doing here?”

After steadying him, she turned to Lan Wu and Ji Lingyue, her face apologetic. “My husband has been agitated since yesterday. He slipped away early this morning, and we’ve been searching for him. If he’s said anything rude, I hope you’ll forgive him.”

Lan Wu hesitated for a moment, then shook her head. “It’s fine, he didn’t do anything.”

“That’s good.” Chu Jiao seemed relieved. She bid them farewell politely, then gently stroked Qing Zibai’s face. The man seemed to calm down immediately, closing his eyes and following her obediently.

After they had left, Lan Wu hissed. “What’s wrong with him?”

Ji Lingyue withdrew her gaze. “Qing Zibai seems afraid of her.”

“Hmm?” Lan Wu turned toward her.

“When Chu Jiao appeared,” Ji Lingyue said, “Qing Zibai flinched.”

Lan Wu turned, her beautiful eyes fixed on Ji Lingyue, who looked confused. “What’s wrong?”

Lan Wu said abruptly, “You’re paying a lot of attention to him.”

Ji Lingyue was taken aback. “Huh?”

“You even noticed him flinch,” Lan Wu muttered. “You’re really observant.”

She turned and walked towards the stairs, Ji Lingyue blinked and followed her, her smile widening slowly. “After all these years, he’s married, and you’re still this jealous?”

“I’m not jealous,” Lan Wu denied. “I was complimenting you. You’re so sharp-eyed and perceptive. You’re amazing.”

Ji Lingyue hummed. “In that case, should I follow him and observe some more?”

Lan Wu stopped abruptly, shooting her a glare. “The Chu family does seem suspicious, but we don’t have any evidence. We don’t know what’s really going on with them. If you follow a married couple home and see something you shouldn’t, you might get an eye infection.”

Ji Lingyue laughed, placing her hands behind her back. “You should say that to the people spying on us.”

Lan Wu turned her head in confusion. “Hmm?”

Ji Lingyue stepped forward, pinning Lan Wu against the wall, a teasing smile on her face. “It seems someone else might get an eye infection.”